A Brief Candle
by bookwormsquill
Summary: A brief life of Hermione Granger. The delightful young girl just have to accept the unpropitious fate. Could unthinkable someone make her realise that every second of her life had been precious to everyone including himself? D/Hr.
1. Chapter 1

It was another one breezy night at Hogwarts. I felt the need of fresh air and decided to take a short walk around the school. I walked slowly, taking my time. It was really quiet the entire time. I couldn't hear any other sound except for my footsteps and breathing. I wonder if this was what would feel like to be died. Cold, lonely, pained.

I stopped in my track for I thought I was secluded enough. I pulled my jacket tighter so the chill wouldn't get to my skin. I tangled my fingers to my hair and started to stroke it. When I lifted up my palm, I saw a handful of hair entwined with my fingers.

My lips curved up just a little bit but entirely enough just to make me realise that I was finally able to cope with fate and reality. Able of letting go. After months with seemingly never ending sleepless night of crying my eyes out.

It was about three months after the war. I was sure that I was going to be safe and had a terribly long and happy life. I guess I could say that I was pretty much living in a normal animated life.

I found my parents, and successfully able to restore the lost memory. They loved me the way they were, and it brought me total joy andalleviation of my distress. I was a Head Girl, my grades were practically on top most of the time, I got tons of friends from the lower grade for they appreciated what I had done during the war.

I even got an anonymous admirer. Said he was lurking from the other side of the room watching me. On his letter, he kept apologizing to me for Merlin knew what it was about. When I wrote back and asked him what the bloody hell did he talk about, and who he really was, he merely wrote "I'm sorry" all over again.

I gave up after several times of trying to get him to identify himself. It was never going to happen. But that was not mean I stop wondering who he was. He was extremely sweet gentleman. From the way he wrote, I could guess that he was one intelligent bloke. I wished I had known him. We would have met and discussed about things that my best friends didn't seem to be interested. Like, for examples, book and literature. That would have been nice But apart from that, I was sure if one had had a guess, he would have thought I was leading a perfect life. And so would I.

Then it was coming. Crashed down my little fairytale life ever so easily. Actually, I should've seen it coming. The symptoms was doubtlessly obvious. I had even done some research but vaguely took it seriously for I didn't want to believe it. It seemed that death was trying to catch me so badly. I slipped away from his grip the last time, at the war. And I knew I was not going to be able to escape once more.

I would have never told them about what was going on in my life at the time being. I abominated the very idea of being in everyone's pity. It was not like, I didn't care or didn't want to have anything to do about them, because I really did care. But I would rather vanish when I couldn't hang around any longer. And it would eventually. I thought that was very clever, even though, I had a feeling that they would be terribly pissed off by me if I would do that. But, it was for the best, they were the greatest friends of mine, their life would be affected, whether lot, or only a little. I wouldn't want that to happen, now would I?

It was getting late, and I needed to take my meds and some sleep. I turned my heels toward the corridor to get back to the tower when I saw something moving at the corner of my eyes. I delayed my movement just to turn my head and catch a glimpse of platinum white blond hair and tall slender figure at the other end of the corridor.

Malfoy. Just great. by then I had to race to the end of the corridor before He could reach where I was and give me his so called "Put me on my place" speech. I don't want to brag about my existence at Hogwarts but it seemed that he was the only person that couldn't care less about me.

I had to admit, I thought he did change for the better since the war. Of course, he still made those snarky bookworm comments about me, but never mudblood. It was a good thing, I meant, quite a progress, if you ask me. I was sure, not making those snide remarks about me would have taken a lot of him. Perhaps I was only assuming, but I would've thought that all amateurish prattle of him was said kind of half-heartedly. His voice didn't sound so unbearably ear-splitting like it was before if the absence of smugness in his voice would be anything to go by. I almost thought he didn't despise me that much anymore, his expression wasn't that rigid as it was before. But I couldn't be so sure.

I turned around once again only to be stopped by my cough. It was one terrible feeling. I managed to spit some blood. Dizziness attacked my head, I couldn't afford to walk properly. I tried really hard to get back to my common room. I was sure I walked as though I was having a hangover.

I heard the thumping steps of his steps and felt him getting closer, strode-down towards me and bruised my shoulder just enough to make me budge and almost fell. "Can't even walk properly, huh Granger? Been limping, have we? What happened to you?" He asked sardonically, as he took one more step further. He turned his head to face me and stopped at his track. We were an arm away.

I took a note earlier, the first time I had been at Hogwarts. A list of things what I shall do and not do. I remember the top of all of it was, Don't get too close with a certain pureblood named Draco Malfoy, or I might catch the venom he spit as he speak. Yes, it was exceptionally deadly. I understood that, I staggered backward a couple of steps, and without any other disagreements in my own thought I obeyed it perfectly fine.

"Granger? He broke away my thought as he turned around to face me. If I hadn't known any better I must've thought I saw his expression altered from rancorous to a tad perturbed. His voice was rough and at the same time surprisingly mellifluous. And somehow, it managed to make me felt something that I hadn't felt in a painfully long time. Invulnerable, would be the best word to describe what I felt by then.

I didn't respond because couldn't gathered my thought completely. I felt the corridor was spinning. I was holding my head as I was in my knees, couldn't afford to stand up any longer. I felt a pair of strong arms around me waist and one of my arms, then the last thing I saw before anything went black was Malfoy's face looking down at me with a tad apprehensive expression.

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**Author's Note : Thank you so much for reading! Do you think I should continue? Please Review, this is my first fic.**


	2. Chapter 2

I opened my eyes slowly, still felt a bit light headed, my eyelids felt terribly heavy, and perceived that something, I presume fingers were fiddling with my hair. When my eyes were fully opened, I was gobsmacked for what I saw was remarkably unsettling. It was Draco bloody Malfoy, looking down at me dead in the eyes. Then I figured that it were his fingers and I was on his lap. My cheeks turned into the shade of pink involuntarily.

"You're finally awake. What happened to you?" He tried to ask nonchalantly, letting go of my hair. And somehow, it upset me just a little, I thought it was kind of comforting. "I... I was.. Now I'm.." I stuttered peculiarly. I had no idea why I couldn't bring my self to answer the question. It was merely Malfoy, he would have never cared, would he? And then again, would he? He didn't leave me alone, did he? He was sitting right there, positioning me to lay across his legs and waiting till I opened my eyes. Still, I thought it was quite preposterous to think that Malfoy was actually give a hoot about what happened to me.

"Granger?" He asked, keeping his voice low. "What time is it, Malfoy?"I asked, just to alter the subject as I was trying to sit up next to him. He lifted his left wrist and looked down, "About three in the morning, you passed out about two hours. I'm sorry, I didn't bring you back to the Head Common room, or the hospital wings. I didn't know what your password is, and I heard Madam Pomfrey was on a day off since one of her relatives passed away. I couldn't bring you to the Headmistress and the professors as well for I thought they all hated me, and thought that maybe I was only trying to pull a prank. I didn't know what else to do, I thought maybe I just have to wait for until you awake. I really am sorry" He answered.

Two hours? Really did I really pass out that long of a time. And he was there the whole time? What in the world just happened, I couldn't bring my commonsense to it. And had I heard him apologized twice? I hadn't even known he could say such a thing. Let alone towards me, and twice during a period of one confabulation. Much to my surprise likewise, Madam Pomfrey had been gone away awhile, and I had absolutely no idea at all. Maybe being ill was not only caused a physical malady in particular, but also cut me of off the grid.

"It's not your fault, you shouldn't have said sorry at all. Thank you, anyway. I think you better go back to the dungeon." I was standing up and ready to leave when his reply stopped me. "Why?" He was on his feet as well." Were you going to take points from my house, because I was wandering around the school, and not sound asleep in my four-poster bed? Let me tell you something, I don't even care about House Cup anymore I just.." I didn't let him finished, "I never said that I was going to take points! That didn't even cross my mind at the beginning of our encounter. I only think that you should go back, that's all."

"I just wanted to know what exactly happened to you." He began quietly. "Why? Does that mean you don't despise half as much as you used to?" I remarked almost sarcastically and instantly felt awful even though, honestly, I wanted to know the truth about his current feelings about me, but decided to stop anyway. "I better go" I said, turning around. He circled my waist almost immediately to stop me from walking away, "Let go of me, Malfoy!" I tried to get off of his grip, but was failing miserably since he only tightened his grip.

"Granger. I'll let you go if you just tell me." He started again. His eyes were boring to mine intensely. I never realise that he had a shade of blue in his eyes, I thought they were merely steel gray. Ever since that, I understand girl's farcical obsession about his eyes. Not that it changed my opinion about him instantly, even I had to admit, it did alter just a little bit. He was still a prat to me for what he had done for the past 6 years. "I.. I don't think I could tell you." I said, my eyes brimming with tears that were trying to escape. Fortunately, the corridor was sort of dusky, He couldn't spot them. I still had a hard time talking about it in front of other people, even Malfoy. I would've thought that he could've felt the ache in my eyes.

"Why? Because I'm that much of a loathsome prat, that you don't want to know anything about you, so I'm not going to spill your little secret to everyone?! I'm not that low, Hermione!" He almost yelled, my eyes widened at the using of my first name. Hermione. Not Mudblood, not Granger, not Bookworm, not Potter's sidekick, none of that. "No, that wasn't the hitch, I just, you wouldn't understand." I answered quietly.

"Just because I didn't tell my fucking problem to my surroundings doesn't mean I don't have one! I do have the nuisance of my own!" He was practically shouting his every words on me face. "What nuisance could you probably have? You're filthy rich, girls are practically head over heels about you, even though I'm not so sure, why they aren't after you the way they were anymore. You're considered as a bright student, you're.. healthy." My voice died down on the last word. "You should've been more optimistic about things. And you should've had a hope, Malfoy." "Really now? Do you think you could snatch up dignity with wealth? No you can't Granger! My father had ventured to do it for the sake of his name, my mother's and mine, and guess what? he failed miserably in front of our very eyes." He stopped for taking a breath.

"And how dare you said that girls are head over heels about me?! They didn't after me any longer in view of the fact that I'm as good as being notorious. If they're attracted to me, just because of my physical look, then they're just a bunch of stupid, thickheaded girl. I fell in love with this girl, and just for your information I was falling hard, she never once notices me. She was different than all the egocentric girls that only care about how they look. She was intelligent and overly kind to other people. Hell, She still does, and I'm still falling hard. Now let me ask you a question, Granger. Let's suppose you had most of bloke population of this school were terribly crazy about you, what would you have done if you would've really liked the one that didn't even perceive you, even when you had tried to make him to?" His face was inch away from mine.

"Do the math, Granger, you're a smart witch, if you would accumulate all things, that had come from my mouth just now, you would deduced that I am practically detested by the society, and I'm going to be forever alone. Gloomy, sorrowful, forlorn would be my everyday feelings. If you were on my shoes, Granger, don't you think you'd rather pitch yourself off of the Astronomy Tower and end it all, instead of dwelling on this pathetically tragic condition every single day if you don't have one last flicker of hope?"

He finished his rather lengthy rant, and loosened his grip at my wrist. I couldn't believe he had told me so much about his personal life. Even though I want to think about what he just said, I was awfully worn out. My head were a bit hurting, so I excuse myself instead. "I'm sorry, Malfoy, I don't know nothing about you, and I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry I need to go." I slipped from his grip and turning around as I blinked my tears. Heading back to my common room with lots of thing to think about when I wake up.

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**Author's Note : So that was the second chapter. Thanks for reading! Please leave a review. Let me know about your thought of this story :)**


	3. Chapter 3

"Hermione" I heard a faint voice, I knew it was Ginny's, but I had a fairly long night, I would rather stay asleep a little longer. Ginny had always been the one that woke me up when I didn't wake up on time. She had known the password of the Heads common room, and I assume Anthony had let her in. Yes, the Ravenclaw, Anthony Goldstein was the Head Boy. How could he not? He was a boy with perfect grades and manners but somehow still managed to keep it manly. I had talked to him about Ginny's routine of barging in on my personal room whenever she wanted to.

"Hermione" She said louder as she shook my shoulder, my whole body wobbled, I finally tore my eyes opened. "I'm awake now, what are you doing here, Ginny?" I responded with a small dopey smile. "What are you still doing here yourself? We have a Hogsmeade trip today. Common, let's get you ready, everyone is having breakfast right now." She pulled my right arm to put me in a sitting position.

I didn't like going anywhere, even Hogsmeade by the then. I was still feeling a bit weary, and I would rather not walk too far either. "I don't feel very well, Gin. I think I'm going to stay this time." I rubbed my eyes slowly, then looked up to her. "Hey, are you alright, Mione? Do you want me to stay as well? It's alright, It's not much of fun either, without you. I can also escort you to Madam Pomfrey if you like?" She replied with those concerned eyes of her. Always, being a great friend she was, she would offer herself to stay behind with me. Of course, I would never let her.

"No, you really shouldn't, I'm not that sick, just a bit tired, I guess, you should go. And of course it will be fun without me, you still have Patil twins and Luna." "Are you sure?" She asked unsurely" Yes, I'm absolutely certain. Now go and have a lot of fun. I'm just going to continue my rudely interrupted sleeping session." I said jokingly with a large smile across my face as I swayed my hands back and forth as though I tried to shoo her. "Alright, bye Hermione! Feel better soon" She waved her hand as she exited my room. I got back to sleep almost immediately after my woozy head hit the pillow.

I realised that I had the strangest dream when I awakened. I had a dream about Malfoy, confessing about his feelings to me. I didn't know why it felt awful real. As real as it was, I could even remember every single thing he had said to me. Starting from, his and his family's pride, his infatuation about a certain girl, his very feelings with regard to his surroundings, his intention of pitching himself off of the Astronomy Tower. He had been courteous towards me. He even called me Hermione, that was why I firmly believed that it was a dream despite the realness that I felt.

I left the Head common room about thirty minutes after that. I was wandering around the unoccupied Hogwarts then stopped in my track before the entrance of Astronomy Tower. I didn't know why I had done it in the first place. Malfoy. Right, he was 'telling me' that he would rather-. He would rather pitch himself off of the Astronomy Tower and end his life if he hadn't had one last flicker of hope. Why hadn't he pitched himself off of the Astronomy Tower and ended his pain? Because he had that one last flicker of hope that he and his family would finally be accepted in society like they used to be. Hope that he would have the girl. Someday.

The thoughts kept playing on my mind. The more I thought, a new question and a reason emerged and grew more vividly. Why hadn't I pitched myself off of the Astronomy Tower and ended my pain? Did I have that one last flicker of hope he had 'talked about'? The answer had been a no. It appeared that I didn't have one. His case of pain and mine had been different. He had his entire lifetime, which I was rather sure that it was going to be a long one, to finally get what he had been trying to achieve by then. It wouldn't be impossible.

My hope had been sadly unobtainable. That was how it was dissimilar. What would we have earned if we had endured the agony in the long run? He would've certainly gotten what he had wanted. However, I would've certainly, too, earned nothing. Nothing but longer suffering period. That had been the time when I came to a realisation that I was the one that should have pitch myself off of the Astronomy Tower, instead. It would be a big and help for me.

But then again, How would my parents and friends deal with it? To hell with that, I would eventually, be nothing but a bugger. I was sure they loved me but I endured an excruciating pain that they had never experienced of. They had to, and would understand my decision. I finally made up my mind, and decided to just go with it. I walked towards the entrance slowly. Then climbing up the twisted stairs with more certainty on every step.

An enchanting blue sky greeted me by the time I arrived at the top of the Astronomy Tower. I gazed all around and thought that I was going to miss everything. My parents. I love each one of them extremely much. They had brought me into this world and raised me like the best parents would. My best friends. They were the best thing that had ever happened to me. They would always have me. I love them like a family. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the rest of Weasleys. Never thought I was going to leave them this way. I hope they were going to be just fine and continuing their happy little life without me.

I felt a single tear ran down my cheek. I inhaled one last air, then I jumped. There was less than a second later, a masculine hand snatched my frail one and pulled me before I could go under any lower. When I looked up, I saw-. Malfoy. No way. There was no way I was having a dreamathon. I felt like crying. "Let go of me, Malfoy." I tried not to sob. "No!" He hauled me up back to where I jumped. I felt my whole body going numb, all of these was not normal. I was sitting there, motionless with Malfoy scrunched down before me, and yelling in my face, "What the hell were you thinking?". I was quiet still, too baffled to speak let alone retort back. I tried to pinch my self as hard as I could, and when I could feel my self. I realised this wasn't a dream. Would that make my my encounter with Malfoy last night had not been a dream as well?

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**Author's Note : Thank you for reading! :) Review would be much appreciated. I love to know about your opinion :)**


	4. Chapter 4

I did not open my mouth to talk before another good minutes. He had not been saying anything else during that. I never knew that he could be that patient kind of person. He used to look so cold, and flat, indifferent, but never patient. I had been sure he used to have everything going his way. Then, it hadn't been a surprise that he had grown up to a spiteful, spoiled, impatient boy, had it?

"Are you real?" I reached out my hand to his cheek. I was still having a hard time believing in spite of the evidences. But if it had been real, he would've drawn back and forming a disgusted face on his face. Or I thought so. "Of course you're not." I answered my self as I continued to trace his pointy face, along the cheekbone and his jaw. I was sure that somehow, I had maintained the expression of Luna Lovegood plastered across my face involuntarily.

By then, he had been more composed. He had been no longer in his frantic state. To be honest, _both_ of us had been frantic at the first place. And somehow, his calmness brought me to the same condition as his.

His eyes were still focused on mine, as he took my hand hat had been touching his face, gently and rested it on his heart. I felt my stomach flip a little at this. "Of course I am. Can you feel that?" He asked. My heart went a little faster. He asked me whether I could feel his heartbeats. I was torn between being more skeptical or believe that he was truly there. My head hurt terribly from all this thinking. I could not let anything more than a stiff nod.

"Then I am real, aren't I?" He said way too softly for a Malfoy as he took both of my hand in his.

"You can't be," I drew back my hands, my eyes were brimming with tears that were threatened to spill.

"Granger!" He raised his voice a little bit, but was still somewhat calm. He took a good grip of my upper arms and shook me lightly as though I had been asleep and he tried to wake me. "What do I have to do to make you believe that I am really here?"

"You can tell me, when was the last time I saw you. What happened to me and what you had done to me," I couldn't believe I blurted out just like that. Even though that was the first thing that had come to my mind, I still thought that telling my very dream about Malfoy to himself hadn't been the cleverest thing.

I forced my self to stare back at his gray eyes. In spite of what he had done to me in the past, I had to admit that Draco Malfoy was a handsome bloke. He had a perfect build, that any guy want. A perfect pale complexion, perfect platinum blonde hair that seemed much softer than mine, but of course everyone else's hair was much softer than mine, since my hair was a complete disaster, but that was beside the point. His hair was softer than everyone else's. A perfect face structure that held the most part of his aristocratic features, a perfect smile, or generally more like a smirk, and last but not least, the most perfect attribute of him, his steely, gray orbs that seemingly able to melt me down under its gaze.

I had mentioned the word perfect referring to him, in a terrifyingly large amount. And I couldn't believe I was able to detail him in that kind of way. That stewed me just a little bit. Hell, it stewed much more than just a little bit. I was just gratified I didn't say those things out. I tried as hard as I could not to blush even the slightest. It had been an effortful attempt when his eyes bored through mine.

"It was last night, you were knocked out and I had stayed with you until you awoke. I recall, I told you some personal things, and-"

"You really did that?" I asked in disbelief. The tears that I had been trying to hold back were spilled, eventually.

"Yes, I did I-" He reached to wipe the single tears with his thumb for a mere moment and drew back his before I could even response. I let that slip, though.

"The whole pride thing, and the girl thing, was real?"

"Yes, I even told you that I rather-" He looked down momentarily and then back at me with his eyes growing wide as if _something_ hit him. Something that had to be a realisation.

I couldn't believe that moment, Draco Malfoy, right in front of me, not spatting anything hurtful or slightly offensive, telling me that my impossible dream that I would never thought in my life would ever be, had been real. It felt really different. A good kind of difference. But I chose not to be too naïve and acted like he had changed entirely. He had been the bully to my friends and I. I was still unable to bring myself to completely trust him.

I was just going to try not to be too immature. Well, at least I tried not to _show _it. I couldn't entirely curb my immature mind from wandering off, could I?

"Don't tell me I gave you this idea?"

"Well, I don't even know why you're acting like it had not been the best idea of yours, and yes, you sort of did." I blurted out. _Damn_. It certainly _had not_ supposed to come out like that. I thought I had a little too much sarcasm dripping out of my mouth from what I had been intended from the first place.

"I can understand why you cannot trust me," He said with those hurting gray eyes of his.

I felt a pang of guilt in instance. If I had not grown up with him, I would have believed his words just because the look of his eyes. But it turned out I had been immature before I even realise it. Maybe, even the slightest bit of that sarcasm had not been necessitated after all. Therefore I couldn't help but apologise.

"I'm sorry," I said facing the ground.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, I told you I understand." I didn't have any idea why he did. I had never deemed him to be an understanding person.

"I was being childish."

"I know," He said as he stood up and smirked. That kind of smirk that would swoon girls away. That stupid smirk that I had been hated for so long. That horrifying smirk that he used to flash when he and his cronies made my life in hell. I thought he was just going away when he turned around then held his had towards me and said,

"Care to join me for a ride?"

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**Author's Note : Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed. What do you think about Draco? too forward maybe? xD Please Review. Flames are also welcomed. I think I do need critics :)**


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